Little Water Cantina's Sous Talks About the Dude She Was Most Nervous to Cook For
Not many things rattle Little Water Cantina's sous chef, Cameo McRoberts. Hell, she stuck an Obama 08 note inside a box of chocolates and sent it to Barack when he and Michelle dined at Frontera Grill pre-candidacy. But in this lightning-round edition of Grillaxin (you can read part one here), McRoberts talks about the customer who left her quaking in her boots. 
Photo by Renee McMahon
SW: What is the worst thing you've ever tasted?
McRoberts: When I was 15 years old, I went to Japan and had this soup with this starchy, gray Jell-O texture. I don't know what it was, but it has lived with me forever. I also love coconut, but cannot stand the smell of it toasted, oddly enough.
Do you cook at home?
I have finally, after years of trying and throwing copious amounts of food in the compost bin, admitted to myself that NO, I do not cook at home! I may even turn my refrigerator into my home bar and unplug it! I am finally free of the guilt! My name is Cameo, I am a chef, and I do not cook at home!
What are five items that we will always see in your fridge?
Eggs, various Mexican hot sauces, good Dijon, lots of Asian condiments, and mixer.
Are people too intimidated to invite you to dinner and cook for you?
I always kind of end up cooking. I don't feel comfortable not being in the kitchen. It's like I don't know what to do with myself when I am not the one entertaining. I don't know if it is because I am an attention whore or horribly socially awkward.
Who were/are you the most nervous to cook for?
I served oysters to Robert Plant once, and I was horribly nervous when I took the oysters to the table. After he and his entourage had their meal at Frontera, the restaurant manager came into the kitchen and said, "Robert Plant is out there and he's asking for the tart who shucked his oysters," and I was like, "Oh my God! I'm the tart who shucked the oysters! I'm the tart!"
What is your food philosophy?
I have a "vale desmadre" (Mexican slang for "Who gives a fuck?", or, more appropriately, "for the love of the chaos") philosophy about food. I like the burning and blending and smacking around of Mexican food; I like pretty but not fussy; I appreciate delicate, but I like food that throws its weight around.
What kind of customers annoy you the most?
Those who don't express their distaste for food or service or any part of their experience and then feel the need to shout from the interweb mountaintop. Life is not perfect and neither is food, but I will turn myself inside out to fix something. I just have to know.
What do you splurge on at the grocery store when you have an extra $20 to spend?
Good cheese.
What chef myths would you like to debunk?
That just because you went to culinary school you are a chef, or because you own a set of All-Clads and throw fabulous dinner parties you are a chef. Just because I built a fort in my backyard and I took a class on carpentry does not make me an architect. This is a learned and skilled trade, not an art. Though most of us are creative beings by nature, it takes time and lots of cuts and burns to be a chef, and those that are don't announce it.
Check back tomorrow for part three of this week's Grillaxin for one of Cameo's favorite recipes.
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